120 City Homes on Country Lanes 



cots, nectarines, Satsuma plums, Imperial prunes ; and 

 all growing upon one tree. Within his box-bordered 

 walks he raised vegetables in the most intensive fashion. 



The rent-free home, vegetables and fruit, with meat 

 from the rabbitry, represented quite a part of the fam- 

 ily living, even upon this very small plot of ground. 

 But that is not the point of the story. The point is 

 that Mr. Hobden made a very distingue garden, which, 

 on that account, became a rare joy to himself and to 

 his neighbors — even an object of public pride. Making 

 a liberal investment of love and skill, he collected gen- 

 erous dividends of satisfaction. 



If this unusual spirit can be made the common spirit, 

 it will result in a great uplift of garden-home standards, 

 with a wholesome reaction upon the character of the 

 people themselves. 



Much has been said about vegetables, yet the fruits 

 of tree and vine are equally important in the scheme of 

 luxurious living for average people. I have a friend in 

 California who never speaks of fruit trees, but always 

 of "food trees." It is an illuminating phrase, because 

 it brings home to the mind the real economic significance 

 of the garden home. The fruit tree is to be planted and 

 lovingly nourished, as one of the bread-winners. We 

 shall count it "present" at breakfast, lunch, and dinner 

 — not only in "the good old summer time" and in 

 autumn harvest days, but in the winter, when it speaks 

 in the language of jams and preserves. It is not a case 

 of "Everybody works but father." In the garden home 

 everybody and everything works — not grudgingly, but 

 willingly and lovingly — not only father, mother and 



